La Promesse (1969) : distribution, intrigue et streaming

Released in 1969, La Promesse is a drame film directed by Robert Freeman, running about 94 minutes. “When a woman is more than a friend... when a boy is more than a child... love can be awakened too early.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Wendy is the British guest of a French couple and the daughter of the man who saved the host's life during World War II. Living with the couple is their 20-year-old son and a 12-year-old nephew whose parents were killed in an automobile accident. The father and son both try to seduce the attractive guest. The young boy retreats into his own world and dreams of being taken back to Britain by Wendy in this romantic drama. The mother spends her time bleaching her hair and is seemingly uninterested in anything that goes on with her family at the beachfront villa. Meanwhile, Wendy and the younger boy develop a fondness for each other, while his aunt and uncle fail to understand his needs.

Who’s in it. La Promesse stars Jacqueline Bisset as Wendy Sinclair, Jean-François Vlerick as François (as Jean-François Maurin), Gisèle Pascal as Florence and Chantal Goya as Monique, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.0/10, La Promesse has been warmly received by audiences. It went on to earn $900K at the box office.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch La Promesse page.

If you liked it. Fans of La Promesse tend to enjoy Les Évadés, Le Parrain, La Liste de Schindler and Le Parrain, 2e partie.